


The Driving Wedge

by DiamondbackMako16



Category: Onward (2020)
Genre: Age Gap Romance, Angst/Drama, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, One Night Stand, Post Movie, Unplanned Pregnancy, one-sided romance, relations in the workplace, starts off Pre-movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:47:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26277391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiamondbackMako16/pseuds/DiamondbackMako16
Summary: A one night stand, that's ALL it was supposed to be...Yes it was wrong, but to be fair, Colt was hurting, and Officer Gore...she yearned for him since day one on the force.That's not to say the young satyr actually WANTED to be a 'homewrecker', it just...happened. It was one of those, 'one thing led to another' sort of deals.And it's not like Colt actually MEANT to leave his subordinate with a little 'gift', it just...well...HAPPENED...
Relationships: Colt Bronco/Laurel Lightfoot, Colt Bronco/Officer Gore
Comments: 10
Kudos: 6





	1. Innocence

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Onward belongs to Disney/Pixar and Dan Scanlon. This fic was written purely for fun and I am making no money off this.
> 
> I normally NEVER write short chapters (much less one that is literally only a couple hundred words long) like this, but consider 'chapter 1' a set up/prologue. Proceeding chapters will be MUCH longer.

It wasn’t supposed to happen…it really wasn’t…

It just sort of… _did_ …

And even then, it wasn’t as if she had done it on _purpose_.

 _Definitely_ not on purpose…she was no home wrecker, hell, Colt and Laurel weren’t even _together_ at the time… _honest_!

At the time, the gossip around the department was that Captain Bronco was ‘taking a break’ from his relationship with Laurel Lightfoot, mother of the well-known, self-proclaimed, ‘history buff’, Barley Lightfoot.

Word was that, the two had gotten into a small ‘lovers spat’- no doubt about Barley- and in an effort to give themselves space, Laurel had suggested the two of them ‘take a break’, _not a breakup_ …just a break to let themselves cool off and see where they took their relationship from there.

“Yeah, _right_ …a ‘break’!” One of the officers had laughed, “I’ve heard _that_ one before, and it always ends with a dumping soon after!” This earned some chuckles from several nearby officers.

A stern glare from Officer Specter shut them _right_ up.

It didn’t matter though. Colt’s keen ears had heard the light jab even as he stood on the far side of the room, and the officer’s words had struck a nerve in the centaur. Specter knew it, Gore knew it, and even Colt himself knew it.

He spent the rest of his shift either in his office or out on patrol, avoiding other officers as much as possible.

He was scared and hurting…

And Gore, in her well-meaning attempt to cheer up her Captain, made the move to distract and possibly comfort him.

Little did she know, _she_ would be the driving wedge that would only make things _worse._

And now, as she stared down at the two pink lines on the pregnancy stick, she couldn't help but think back on when it all began... 


	2. Heated Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gore learns to never watch smut before bed...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Onward belongs to Disney/Pixar and Dan Scanlon. This fic was written purely for fun and I am making no money off this.
> 
> Heads Up!  
> Things get a little smutty and heated in one scene. 😎

_Six Weeks before Ian's birthday_

Officer Gore stared at the silver nameplate on the closed door.

**Captain Colton Bronco**

The satyress’ heart gave a little flutter as her mind conjured up the image of the centaur to which the name belonged to.

 _Colton Bronco_ … _Colt_

Gore bit her lip as it took every ounce of self control to _not_ moan at the thought of her superior.

Her brave, strong, _handsome_ Captain…

The Captain that had smiled and greeted her nervous self-back on her first day of work…Colt…

Officer Gore shook herself out of her reverie, ‘Get _ahold_ of yourself Pandora!’ she scolded. She looked down at the files in her hands and then at her watch.

**6:30 P.M.**

Gore was officially off the clock, and if she got her days right, Colt should be leaving soon as well.

And _if_ he was getting ready to leave, Gore better make her next move quick, least she get caught in the awkward situation of having to explain why she was just standing outside Colt’s office like some kind of weird creeper.

‘Wouldn’t _that_ be a great conversation starter?’ Gore thought as she brought her hand up and knocked.

“Come in!” Came the familiar voice from the other side of the door.

This time, Gore’s heart skipped a beat in anticipation as she timidly cracked the door open, “Captain Bronco?” she inquired softly.

There, sitting behind his desk, reviewing his own files, was the object of the satyress’ affections.

“Yes?” Colt asked as he looked up from the pages.

Gore’s brain faltered as she locked eyes with the large centaur, “I…I…” _Spit it out already!_ “I-I’m leaving for the night…sir…” she said pathetically.

Colt blinked at the blunt announcement. It wasn’t uncommon for Gore to bid him goodbye while he was out in the lobby or something, but for her to actually seek him out in his office? _That_ was new…

“Oh, well…have a pleasant evening and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Colt smiled as he turned his attention back to his reports.

“Mm…yeah…tomorrow…” Gore replied with a laugh. “Actually,” she started as she brushed a tiny strand of hair that had fallen loose from her bun, behind her ear, “uh…I’ve still got some reports I have to go over, and…I know we’ve been trying to cut back on overtime, but I would rather get these done _tonight_ so I don’t have to worry about them tomorrow, so…I’m just gonna work on these at home…” Gore nearly winced at her own pathetic rambling.

“…alright. That’s fine.” Colt replied, his brows furrowed with confusion.

Gore’s heart pounded. She was losing him! “A- _and_ ,” she continued hastily, “I see you’re still working on your own reports, and I…I was _wondering_ …if…you wanted to…and it’s only if you’re up to it…if you wanted to…work on our reports…together…” Colt was silent, and Gore quickly added, “W-we could pick up dinner…I’ll pay!” she braced herself for any oncoming rejection.

It came.

“That’s a tempting offer, but I’m going to have to pass. I’m just going to give this report a final review and then I’m heading out to run a couple of errands.” Colt gently declined.

“Oh!”

“But thank you for the offer.” Colt thanked.

Gore nodded, “I…yeah! Yeah, no problem! Uh…goodnight sir!”

“Goodnight Officer Gore.”

Gore gave a final smile before backing out of the door and closing the door. With the barrier back in place, Gore’s smile dropped and she smacked herself in the face with the report folder in frustration.

What the heck was _that_? She _blew_ it!

 _Dinner_?! Way to make things sound like a _date_!

Gore tossed her head back with a small groan before turning and making her way to the main lobby.

So much for spending time with her favorite supervisor or becoming _at least_ a friend…

* * *

An hour later, Gore found herself lounging on her cough, scrolling through her _Netsphinx_ account, a half pint of cookie dough ice cream cradled in her lap. She sighed as she went through the lists.

 _The Flare Witch_? Saw it.

 _The King of the Rings_? Saw it. The whole trilogy.

 _Henry Blotter_? Seen the whole franchise _at least_ ten times…still preferred the books. _Magnificent Creatures and How to Find Them_ was coming along good though…

 _Pan’s Maze_? What satyr _hasn’t_ seen that classic over a hundred times?

 _Raging Minotaur_? Seen it.

 _Gigantic_? Saw it.

 _The Brunch Club_? Saw it.

 _Rude Gals_? Heard of it…not her cup of tea.

 _One Hundred Shades of Red_ …

Gore paused in thought. She had come across this movie loads of times, but it had never really caught her interest. She had her doubts over the liability of ‘consent’ supposedly present in the novels, and the notion of having to sign a contract and pretty much give oneself away was shady at _best_ …

Still, there was something about this moment that Gore found herself slightly…intrigued…

She highlighted her potential selection, and after watching the familiar trailer, she- against her moral judgement- played the film.

“Let’s see what all the hype’s about.” Gore said as she settled herself against her couch.

Gore ended up watching all three movies.

She watched them not because the script was good or the acting was phenomenal…because it _wasn’t_.

No, _her_ reason for sticking through to the end was…well…the _exotic_ scenes.

True, most were excessive and cringey at times, but there were actually a few parts that were played well, like that Grey Room scene… _wow_!

Gore glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and winced. It was _well_ past one in the morning and she had work at ten. She usually tried to be up by eight…it was almost two. If she went to bed _now_ , she could catch at least six hours of sleep. She’d be a little tired during her shift, but at least it was _something,_ and hey, she was one of the lucky few that was able to snag Saturdays and Sundays off. She could sleep all she wanted after her shift and didn’t have to worry about fixing her sleeping schedule until Sunday.

The young officer turned off the tv as she stood up. She glanced at the clock again.

**1:53 A.M.**

Gore dropped the remote onto her couch before paddling across her small apartment and into her bathroom. There she went through her nightly routine of brushing her teeth and giving her hair a quick comb before styling her long, raven locks into a braid. She then went into her room, plugged in her phone to charge, set her alarm to eight, and then finally crawled into bed. She took a final peek at her cell.

**1:57 A.M.**

Gore sighed as she plopped her head onto her pillow.

Sleep soon overtook her.

* * *

“Officer Gore!”

Said satyr looked up from what she was doing, “Yeah?” she called back.

“The Captain wants to see you!” Officer Avel answered from where he stood. There was something _off_ about him…

The way he just stood there, face expressionless, arms dangling at his sides…

“Captain Bronco?” Gore asked in confusion.

“Who else?” Avel deadpanned before disappearing around the corner.

Gore blinked in confusion.

‘Okaaay…’

What did Captain Bronco want with _her_? Was it about last night’s offer? Was she out of line for asking him out, even if she meant it in a friendly way? Was he wondering about the report she claimed to have wanted to work on? The report that…she had _no_ idea where it was…

Gore’s heart dropped into her stomach.

Where was the report?! She just had it… _didn’t_ she?

Gore frantically looked around. She could have _sworn_ it was in her hands just a few seconds ago!

She didn’t leave it back at the apartment...

Or at least…she didn’t _think_ she did…

In fact, she couldn’t remember leaving the flat _at all_ …

“Gore! Get a move on! Don’t keep the Captain waiting!” A detective snapped from her desk.

This snapped the satyress into action, and she quickly made her way to Bronco’s office.

She was surprised to see Officer Specter lingering in front of the closed door.

Did Bronco want to see her too?

“Officer Specter? What-”

“The Captain will see you now.” Specter interrupted.

Gore blinked and furrowed her brow, “…what?”

“Captain Bronco will see you now.” The cyclops repeated.

_‘Mr. Redd will see you now.’_

Gore shook off the eerie similarity and reluctantly stepped forward, “Did Bronco call you too?”

Specter merely shook her head and held the door open for her, “Just you.”

“O-okay…” Gore said nervously as she moved past her partner. The door closed behind her with a soft click, and she approached Colt’s desk, “You wanted to see me, sir?”

Colt looked away from his computer and locked eyes with his subordinate, “Yes, I did.”

Silence fell between the two, and Gore shifted on her hooves, “Wh- I mean…is there…any…uh…?”

Colt smiled as he pushed himself to his feet, “That was an interesting offer you gave me last night.” He started as he slowly made his way around his desk.

Gore paled. She knew it! Somehow, she went too far with her invitation, and in someway or another, Colt took offense.

“I…I…” Gore’s mouth shifted as she tried to formulate her explanation, “I just thought you could use some company…”

“Company?” Colt repeated with raised brows as he approached the younger officer.

Gore swallowed as she backed up a couple of steps. Why was he approaching her like this?

“Y-yeah…I know things have been… _rough_ for you lately, a-and I just thought you could use a distraction from- oh!” Gore yelped as her back met the wall. She looked up to see Colt towering over her and swallowed again.

“What sort of ‘distraction’ did you have in mind?” Colt prodded.

Gore blinked a few times, “Um…just dinner…a little bit of work…maybe a movie…I’ve got a _Netspinx_ account-”

“Anything _else_?” Colt smirked.

“Any…? N-no…just- sir…w-what are you doing?” Gore stammered as Colt leaned down and rested a hand on either side of her, effectively trapping her in place.

“What _else_ did you have in mind?” Colt inquired, completely ignoring Gore’s own question.

Gore blinked up at her Captain, “…I…don’t know what you expect me to say, sir.” She confessed, more than aware that the centaur was pressing his torso against her, pinning her to the wall.

“I _expect_ you to tell me the truth…that you _wanted_ me.” Colt answered, his voice taking a sultry tone.

“Captain _Bronco_!” Gore gasped.

Where had _that_ come from?!

“Say it.” Colt demanded.

“Sir I _assure_ you, I-”

“ _Say_ it!”

Gore went into stunned silence, and then, “I want you.”

Gore’s eyes widened in horror.

Did she _really_ just say that?! _Why did she say that_?!?!

She fought to get out an apology, but to her confusion, she _just_ couldn’t get her mouth to work…

Colt’s smirk only grew, “Since when?”

“Since I first saw you…” Gore’s words spilled out on their own accord.

“And what stopped you from saying anything before?” Colt continued his interrogation.

“You were with Laurel.” No matter how hard she tried, Gore just _couldn’t_ stop the words from leaving her mouth.

“And before that?”

“ I didn’t think you wanted to pursue a relationship with someone so much younger than you.”

Colt seemed to contemplate the satyress’ confession for a moment before leaning down and nuzzling Gore’s cheek.

“Wha-what are you doing?!” Gore forced out, now seemingly having control of her mouth once more.

“I’m giving you what you want.” Colt answered.

“Wha-”

“Tell me what you want me to do to you.” The centaur breathed.

“Captain-”

“Tell me what _you_ want to do to _me_ …” he purred.

He kissed Gore’s right jaw line, and against her better judgement, her eyes fluttered closed with a moan, “ _Colt_ …”

“ _Tell me_!”

Colt’s kisses grew more feverish, and Gore’s breath became heavy.

She was loving this, yes, but this was wrong! Colt was technically still in a relationship with Laurel, and they were in the _police station_ of all places! If they got caught, it was game over for _both_ of them!

“Captain Bronco…” Gore breathed; her eyes still clenched shut. She squirmed until her hands were on his chest, “we _can’t_ be doing this…Laurel-”

“Is out of the picture.” Colt undid the officer’s top button and kissed her collar bone, which drew out another moan.

Gore pushed against Colt’s chest, but he didn’t budge, “Sir, we’re at the _station_ for Pan’s sake!”

“No we’re not.” Came Colt’s blunt response.

“What?” Gore’s eyes blinked open before widening in disbelief.

Gone was Colt’s office, and in its place was a room that looked oddly similar to Mr. Redd’s ‘Grey Room’.

Gore’s eyes flashed to Colt, and her confusion only grew when she saw that he was no longer in his police uniform. In fact, he wasn’t wearing _anything._

The young woman’s cheeks burned a bright red, and she looked down, only to see that she herself stood in nothing but a bright red bra. She promptly brought her arms up to cover her chest, “Wha… _how_?”

Colt sauntered up to Gore, who backed away from him, “Wait, _no_! What’s going on? Where are we?! How did we _get_ here?! We were just-” she froze as the centaur closed the distance between them and took the satyress in his into his arms.

“Don’t over think it.” He soothed as he began to lead Gore to a large bed at the center of the room, “This is what you want, isn’t it?”

Gore wiggled herself out of Colt’s grip, “No! I mean… _yes_ , but…but I don’t even _know_ what going _on_!” she argued.

“Don’t think too hard on it.” Colt soothed as he took a gentle hold on Gore’s arms and let her back to the bed, “Just enjoy it.” He began to ease her onto her back.

Gore’s heart raced as she reluctantly allowed Colt to settle her beneath him. It was only when Colt reached a hand beneath her and unhooked her bra, that she resisted again.

“Captain, I-” the rest of her words died out when Colt locked lips with her. She gave a muffled yelp when his tongue entered her mouth before closing her eyes in bliss.

This was wrong, but _gods_ how she had longed to kiss him…or be kissed _by_ him. Her hands moved from his chest to his head, where she ran her fingers through his short, brown hair.

Colt meanwhile, seized the moment and eased the bra off the woman.

Feeling the only remaining clothing leave her, Gore was quick to end the kiss and bring her arms down to cover her now exposed breasts.

Colt silently removed them and stared down at the now naked satyress before leaning in for another kiss.

Gore wrapped her arms around Colt and deepened the kiss. She whimpered in pleasure when she felt Colt squeeze her left breast before trailing his hand down South, slowly moving lower and lower down her body, past her thighs and towards her-

* * *

Gore awoke with a start, panting and drenched in sweat.

She glanced around the dark room and was surprised, as well as disappointed, to see that she was back in her own apartment, in her own room, in her own bed.

Colt was no where to be found… _obviously_.

Gore dropped back down onto her bed with a heavy sigh.

A dream…it was just a _dream_ …

‘A steamy, _erotic_ dream…’ Gore thought as she glared up her ceiling in frustration, “ _Stupid_ _movies_ …” This would be the _last_ time she watched any smutty films before bed, and it would _certainly_ be the last time she watched _One Hundred Shades of Red_.

Gore shifted in discomfort.

Thanks to her dream, there was a growing heat in her lower regions, and the blankets weren’t making things much easier…

Gore kicked off her covers, only to dig her fingers into the mattress as the smell of her own arousal filled the room. She took a few deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm herself down.

It didn’t work.

If anything, her heavy breathing only seemed to excite her even _more_.

Gore pursed her lips in annoyance.

There was only _one_ way to take care of her predicament…

Rolling over, she swiped her phone from the nightstand and squinted at the dim screen.

 **5:35 A.M**.

If she ignored her urges, she could still get in another two and a half hours of sleep… _if_ she got back to sleep right away.

Obviously, that _wasn’t_ about to happen. There was _no way_ she could sleep through her annoyingly persistent arousal.

She was going to have to take care of this _herself_ , which _might_ take a while, depending on how much release her body needed to give…

Gore looked at her phone in thought.

She had lost a lot of sleep tonight. There was _no way_ she would be able to work properly with only about five hours of sleep. A sleep deprived cop was _bound_ to make mistakes. Mistakes that could get either themselves, or someone else hurt.

A personal day off _might_ be in her best interest…

The stir in her lady parts only reinforced the idea, and Gore made a mental note to call in her day off as soon as her alarm went off.

“Happy three-day weekend to _me_.” Gore thought as she rolled out of bed. She knelt down and felt around under her bed. A second later, she pulled out a rectangular container slightly larger than a shoe box, which she placed on top of her mattress. She then pulled herself back onto the bed and placed the box on her lap. She removed the cover of the box and gazed down at its contents, her tail wagging in excitement.

Said contents of said box, were actually a variety of… _toys_ …toys for certain situations, such as the one Gore found herself in _now_.

Gore rummaged for a moment before picking up a purple rod. She pressed and held a button at the base, and the toy came to life with an audible buzz. She turned it off and glanced at the wall that separated her bedroom from her neighbor’s apartment.

The walls were thin, and Gore always felt awkward when she had to resort to such tactics to satisfy herself.

Even with the knowledge that there were _plenty_ of times Gore had been an unwilling audience to the young couple’s ‘love nights’, there was still that tiny pang of shame knowing that _they_ knew that she was just a lonely cop that had to ‘take care’ of herself.

Tearing her eyes from the wall, Gore placed her first choice beside her before closing the box and placing it on top of her nightstand. She then took the rod and headed to the bathroom.

 _ Wash thoroughly before and after use _ . 

Gore returned soon after and crawled into bed.

“ _Well_ …it’s just you and me again.” Gore sighed as she turned on the rod.

 _Gods_ she hoped her neighbors were still asleep and didn’t hear that…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Netsphinx = Netflix
> 
> Movie title spoofs:  
> \- The Flare Witch = The Blair Witch  
> \- The King of the Rings = The Lord of the Rings  
> \- Henry Blotter = Harry Potter  
> \- Magnificent Creatures and How to Find Them = Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them  
> \- Pan's Maze = Pans Labyrinth  
> \- Raging Minotaur = Raging Bull  
> \- Gigantic = Titanic  
> \- The Brunch Club= The Breakfast Club  
> \- Rude Gals = Mean Girls  
> \- One Hundred Shades of Red = Fifty Shades of Grey


	3. Reflections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gore thinks back to her early days on the force and her first encounter with Colt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Onward belongs to Disney/Pixar and Dan Scanlon. This fic was written purely for fun and I am making no money off this.

Gore awoke the following morning feeling… _satisfied_ …for lack of better words…

Her ‘toys’, those that had been used the night prior, had been washed and were once again stored in Gore’s no-so-secret box, which was hidden in her not-so-secret hiding spot that was under her bed.

As expected, she ended up getting only a couple of hours of sleep after her ‘self-care’ session and would have slept through her alarm had her bladder not been begging to be released.

After taking care of her business, Gore crawled back into bed and swiped up her phone.

**8:12 A.M**

Gore unlocked her phone and selected her supervising Sergeant’s number. She placed the phone on speaker and fell back onto her pillow as the phone rang. She closed her eyes as she waited, already anticipating the blissful day of sleep ahead of her.

“ _New Mushroomton Police Department. Captain Bronco speaking_.”

Gore’s eyes flew open at the sound of the centaur’s voice.

She had selected her Sergeant’s number… _hadn’t_ she?

“Captain Bronco?” Gore furrowed her brows in confusion. There was no way she had dialed Colt’s department by mistake…

“ _Yes_?”

Gore sat up in her bed, “I…Hello Captain, this is Officer Gore, I…I think I dialed _your_ extension by mistake…I was trying to get ahold of Sergeant Embers, but I guess I got through to you instead…” the poor satyr’s heart raced as she tried to get through her apology.

Turns out, there was nothing to apologize _for_.

“Oh, you dialed the right number, it’s just that Sergeant Embers called in sick today, so all his calls are being forwarded to me.” Colt explained in his usual, cheerful tone.

Gore relaxed a bit. Sergeant Embers was a _jerk_.

He was one of those officers that thought Law Enforcement was a type of ‘men’s club’ and didn’t think women belonged on the force. He often gave female officers grief for calling in sick days, despite knowing full well _why_ some of the women on the force _needed_ said days off. Then, there were the exasperated eye rolls whenever a pregnant female had to leave early for a doctor’s appointment and the unsympathetic complaints whenever an officer put for maternity leave. He especially had little patience for mothers that had to take their children, newborn or otherwise, to said appointments.

‘ _It’s either motherhood or a career. You can’t juggle both and expect to get some good, meaningful police work done.’_

A real _ass_ that man…

 _Colt_ however…he was different. He was nicer. _He_ wouldn’t ask questions or judge Gore for calling in a ‘sick’ day.

“ _What can I do for you Officer Gore?_ ” Colt pressed patiently.

Gore played with the corner of her blanket, “Well sir, I…I’m not feeling too well, so I-I won’t be able to come in today.” She eyed a random spot on her wall as awaited Colt’s reply.

“ _Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that.”_ Colt sympathized. The sound of clicking and typing could be heard in the background. No doubt Colt was going through the procedure of making Gore absent for the day.

“Yeah, I woke up with a…stomach ache.” Gore knew she didn’t _have_ to give Colt a detailed excuse, but after dealing with Sergeant Embers for years, giving explanations was a now an instinctive habit.

Unlike Embers however, Colt had the decency to at least _act_ like he cared, “ _Ooo, that’s never fun_.”

“No it’s not.” Gore admitted as she leaned against her headboard.

There was a bit more clicking before, “ _Alrighty…you’re all set for your three-day weekend_ ,” Colt joked, “ _I sent a text out to Officer Specter and informed her you won’t be in today, but I suggest you give her a heads up too._ ”

“I will sir.” Gore promised.

“ _Alright, well…enjoy your weekend, and I hope you feel better.”_

 _“_ Thank you sir, and I hope you have a good weekend too.”

“ _Thank you, Officer Gore. I’ll you on Monday_.”

“Yeah me too! B-but with _you_!” Gore cringed and brought her palm to her forehead, “I mean, I’ll see you on Monday. That’s what I _meant_ to say.” Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Colt’s good-natured chuckle sounded through the receiver, “Take it easy Officer.”

Gore nodded, her nerves quickly returning, “I will! Bye Colt… _Bronco_! Sir…” _Gods_!

“ _Bye Pandora._ ”

“…bye…” Colt hung up shortly after that, leaving a stunned Gore in his wake.

Colt just called her by her first name… _her_! _First_ name!

Colt was always formal when referencing his coworkers and always addressed them by their respected titles, such as ‘Officer’ or Sergeant’ or ‘Detective’ and the like. _Off_ hours, Colt would obviously go by first names, and _had_ addressed Gore ‘casually’, but he had _never_ called her ‘Pandora’ while on the clock.

Though to be fair, Gore _had_ called Colt by his first name, so he just returned the gesture.

It was still nice to hear him say it though…

Gore settled herself onto her back and stared up at the ceiling.

 _Honestly_ though, what were the chances that Colt _actually_ believed her ‘stomach ache’ excuse, especially after her pathetic pick-up offer last night? Who _wouldn’t_ suspect that this ‘sick day’ was just a cover so Gore didn’t have to see Colt face to face?

To an extent, they’d be right.

They’d also be wrong to an extent as Gore was just exhausted from the lack of sleep.

Lack of sleep that was brought on by her fantasies of a certain centaur officer…

Gore groaned as she laid an arm across her eyes.

It hadn’t always been like this…there had been a time when Gore’s attraction had been a simple, innocent puppy crush…at the _most_ …

* * *

_June 9, 2014; A.K.A, Pandora Gore’s first day on the force._

_First day, ten minutes in and Gore’s stomach was already twisting and churning with nerves and excitement._

_Was she nervous? Heck yes!_

_Did she regret being here? Absolutely not! She had worked her tail off to get here, and now that she was here, now, standing in the department and surrounded by coworkers, it was…surreal. She was one of them now._

_A police officer._

_Surrounded by other police officers. _

_Other officers that were staring at her with looks of either curiosity, disdain, or flat out, dismissal._

_Gore wasn’t surprised at some of their uninterest. She was a rookie. One of five newest members of the department. She was also the only woman among the new arrivals; a fact that her newly appointed Sergeant had no problem pointing out…_

_“A woman huh?” The gruff, heavyset bugbear huffed out, his smile dropping as his eyes went from the four young men to the lone satyress._

_Gore’s brows furrowed for a split second before returning to a position of neutrality. Was there a problem with her being a woman?_

_“Uh…yes, sir?” Really, how was she supposed to such a blunt comment like that? _

_The Sarge sniffed in dismissal, “I assume I should expect the same thing I get from the other women under my watch?” he raised a brow in question._

_This time Gore’s brows did furrow, “I…I’m not sure what you mean…sir.” _

_The bugbear, Sergeant Embers, shifted in his seat, completely unaware or uncaring of the fact that he was about to stereotype the young woman before him, “You got kids? You gonna start calling in days off, or asking to leave early so you can take them to the doctor or some crap like that?”_

_Gore’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped ever so slightly. Her four classmates shared a subtle look of disbelief amongst each other._

_“I…I-I don’t have kids sir.” Gore said as patiently as she could. She could already tell she was not going to like her new supervisor…_

_One of the males, a young cyclops, raised a tentative hand, “…I have a kid, sir…”_

_Sergeant Embers locked his gaze on the new recruit, “Is there a mother in the picture?”_

_“Yes?”_

_“Then she can deal with that.” _

_It was the young man’s turn to look flabbergasted, “But my fiancé and I made a deal to take turns to take our son to his appointments.” He argued weakly._

_Sergeant Embers made to reply when a new voice interrupted the rude officer._

_“ Sergeant Embers,” The bugbear gave a jolt at the sound of approaching hooves, “I trust you’re not giving our newest recruits a hard time?” _

_The five rookies turned to see a large centaur approaching them._

_Sergeant Embers scrambled up from behind his desk, “Lieutenant Bronco!” he gave a quick salute, “Sir, I was just trying to lay down the ground rules regarding days off and leaving early and-”_

_“ And assuring them that they are in their right to request those days-”_

_“But-”_

_“ regardless of their reasons for doing so.” The Lieutenant raised his brows as he awaited his subordinate’s agreement. _

_“I…I…” Sergeant Embers sighed in defeat, “yes sir.” He mumbled, looking more like a scolded child than the tough supervisor he had tried to pass himself off as mere seconds ago._

_The centaur, Lieutenant Bronco, Gore noted, simply smiled and nodded in approval, “Thank you, Sergeant Embers. I’ll take it from here.” _

_Embers blinked in surprise, but readily relinquished the newbies over to the soon-to-be Captain, “They’re all yours Lieutenant.” He gave the new recruits, Gore in particular, a final glare before sitting and returning to whatever he had been working earlier._

_Colt, as Gore would later learn was his first name, motioned for the small group away from the now disgruntled bugbear._

_“You’ll have to excuse Sergeant Embers,” Lieutenant Bronco apologized, “he’s a little rough around the edges, but…well…he’s just rough.” He gave a small neighing chuckle, earning a smile from Gore. “As you heard, I’m Lieutenant Bronco,” he took a moment to shake each officer’s hand, “If any of you ever need anything, just let me know. We’re all very happy to have all of you on board.” He sent a pointed look over his shoulder at Sergeant Embers before turning and smiling at the group, “And I’m looking forward to working with you rookies.” _

_The smirk that played on Bronco’s lips made the butterflies in Gore’s stomach go haywire._

_Sexist Sergeant aside, Gore felt like she was going to really enjoy working there._

* * *

Enjoy it she did.

Enjoy it she _does_.

True, she enjoyed her job for what it was and for what she did. She enjoyed helping citizens in need and putting the law breakers away. She enjoyed keeping her community safe, and she enjoyed working with others that helped her do so.

But the one Officer she enjoyed working with above all else- above even Specter…as much as Gore hated to admit- was none other than Colt Bronco.

 _Captain_ Colt Bronco.

He was promoted to his current title the week after Gore started on the force, but her attraction to him stemmed from day one, practically the second she laid eyes on him…

Gore’s stomach rumbled and she brought a hand to her belly. She was _starving…_ last night’s meal consisted of a measly ham and cheese sandwich, a small bag of chips and a half quart of ice cream. A far cry from a healthy, full meal.

Maybe, since she now had time to cook a full breakfast, she could whip up some eggs and a hash brown patty…maybe a slice of toast…she was pretty sure she still had mini breakfast sausage patties…

Gore’s stomach rumbled with more force at the thought of the meal, and she eagerly pulled herself out of bed.

She left her bedroom and entered the living room, pausing to turn on the T.V and tuning in to the local news network.

_“-backup on the I-88 expressway due to construction-”_

Yeah, yeah construction backup, delays, yadda yadda…

Gore tossed her remote back on her couch before heading to her small kitchen.

 _“-other news; Local, historical activist, Barley Lightfoot, caused a minor disturbance during yesterday’s town meeting in which he repeatedly spoke out of turn after to the notion to remove an ancient, unused fountain was passed.”_ The screen cut to a clip inside New Mushroomton’s town hall, in which the notorious elf was ranting about the significance of said fountain and the importance of preserving the city’s history, before cutting back to the news reporter, “ _Barley Lightfoot was escorted out shortly after his episode, but no arrests or charges were brought up._ ”

Gore ‘tsked’ as she stormed back to the couch, swiped the remote from its spot and changed the channel with more force than was necessary.

She settled on a game show network before returning to the kitchen.

 _Barley Lightfoot_.

Local screwup and son to none other than… _Laurel_ …

Gore took out a pan and placed it on the stove, wincing at the loud clang as it hit the top a little _too_ hard.

The satyress shook her head. She had learn to be more gentle…the _last_ thing she wanted was to be fined for damages due to her short temper.

A short temper brought on by the thought of the _Lightfoot_ family.

Gore opened her fridge and plucked out two eggs from their carton. She turned on the stove, poured a bit of oil onto the pan, cracked the eggs and poured them onto the dish. As they warmed up, she took out another pan, and after lighting the next spot on the stove and pouring oil onto that one as well, she took out the hash brown and sausage patties and warmed them up as well.

As Gore waited, her mind went back to the elven family.

She knew it was horrible to dislike them as much as she did, but could one blame her?

Barley was a petty nuisance that drove everyone crazy with his history fetish, and Ian…he was alright actually. A little awkward and a nervous wreck, but overall, he was an okay kid. A far cry from his elder brother.

 _Laurel_ however…she was the one that Gore had it out for the _most_.

And it all started when Colt confirmed one particular rumor that had been floating around the department…

* * *

_It had been three years since Gore joined the force, and to be honest…things couldn’t have been better._

_Well, save for her family’s constant disapproval of her choice in career and her constant longing for a certain centaur Captain, things were going rather smooth for the satyress._

_After her first meeting with Colt three years ago, Gore found herself growing more and more attracted to the centaur._

_At first, it had been a simple appreciation after he stood up for her against Sergeant Embers._

_An appreciation accompanied by a tiny crush-at-first-sight. _

_Yes, upon their first meeting, Gore actually thought the heavyset centaur was rather handsome; big, thick mustache and all…_

_Of course, there were other things about the centaur that Gore admired…his interests, his disinterests, his favorite stuff, his sense of humor (regardless of how cringey it was at times), his personality…intelligent, clever, kind, funny, brave, loyal…all these traits and more. He was also a great supervisor- better than Sergeant Embers- and as the years went by, a good friend. _

_A good friend that made her melt every time the two of them were alone…_

_When Gore was amongst other coworkers, she could interact with Colt no problem. Alone, she could barley get out a coherent sentence._

_That’s how strong a hold Colt had on her_

_‘But isn’t he like… older than you? Like…way older?’ Iris, Gore’s younger sister, had asked. _

_‘ Fifteen years older…actually…’ Gore confirmed weakly before taking a sip of her soda. _

_Iris had gone silent as she stared at her own soda in thought, ‘Well…I guess there have been bigger age gaps between couples…’ she shrugged, ‘and if you really like him, and if he happens to like you back, then I’m not going to judge. Happiness is all that matters.’ She smiled at her elder sister, ‘I say, make a move and see what happens…but make it subtle, that way, if he rejects you, it won’t be all awkward between you two.’ _

_And that’s just what Gore planned to do._

_It took a week, but she finally mustered up the courage to ask the Captain out on a date._

_“As friends.” She would say. _

_Keep it ‘casual’._

_‘Keep it casual. Keep it casual-‘ Gore repeated the mantra in her head as she searched the station for the hefty centaur._

_‘Captain Bronco…I know this is going to sound strange and out of the blue, but I was wondering if…you would like to catch a movie with me…as friends! Just to hang out outside work. I’d like to get to know you a little better. As friends!’ she rehearsed. _

_‘Hey Captain! Are you busy after work? Oh no reason…it’s just that I was planning on catching a movie and if you’re up to it, maybe you’d like to join me…’Gore peeked into the lounge. Nope. Not in there._

_‘I’m heading over to the theaters after work to catch that new scary movie that came out last night. If you don’t have plans, you’re more than welcome to join me.’ Not in his office._

_‘Good afternoon Captain Bronco. I was wondering if you’d like to join me for a-’ Gore came to a stop as she rounded another corner, “…movie…”_

_There he was…smiling and just as handsome as ever…and surrounded by several other high-ranking police officers…_

_‘Damn it!’ Gore cursed. She couldn’t ask Colt out with her other superiors watching and listening! Even if she did play it off as ‘just friends’, they would get the wrong- that is, right idea and, well…that would be embarrassing. _

_Gore shifted on her hooves as she contemplated her next step._

_Should she backtrack and go back to her desk, or should she play it off and pretend that she was heading to the restroom, which was conveniently on the other side of the group._

_She was actually surprised none of the males had noticed her just standing there, staring at them. _

_“-can’t believe you’re actually dating Lightfoot’s mother!” Lieutenant Burns, an Imp, laughed. He punched Colt’s shoulder with jovial humor. _

_Gore’s ears twitched. What?!_

_Major Spearhead, a beefy Orc, smirked at the centaur, “ Yeah Bronco, you’re supposed to keep the boy in line not date his old lady.” _

_Colt shrugged off his comrade’s jests with a good-natured smile, “Hey now, she’s not old. She’s youthful and beautiful. You all are just jealous.” He defended. _

_“Hm. ‘Jealous’. That’s the word.” Sergeant Embers murmured sarcastically as he brought his coffee cup to his lips. _

_Lieutenant Burns waved off the grumpy bugbear, “Ignore the buzz kill. But seriously…how long have you two been together?”_

_Colt glanced up in thought, “A little over two weeks.”_

_“And we’re just finding out now?! Colt you old dog! I thought we were your friends!” Major Spearhead punched the centaur’s other shoulder. _

_Colt and the others, save for Sergeant Embers, shared another round of laughter._

_Gore however had heard enough. Her stomach churned, her chest ached, and she could feel tears pooling in her eyes._

_In a split-second decision, she made for the women’s restroom._

_Colt was the first to notice the satyress, “Hey Officer Gore!” he greeted cheerfully, his cheeks pulled into a genuine smile._

_Gore didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. She just kept her head bowed, “Captain. Lieutenant. Major. Sergeant.” She choked out quickly as she brushed past the small group. _

_The mens’ smiles dropped as they watched the younger officer go, “Officer Gore, is everything alright?” Colt called out in concern._

_“I’m fine!” Gore called back, her voice cracking a bit._

_Major Spearhead’s ears twitched, “She doesn’t sound fine.” He noted as he watched the satyress disappear behind the heavy door. _

_“ Women.” Sergeant Embers huffed coldly. _

_“Maybe we should have someone check up on her.” Lieutenant Buns suggested._

_Colt nodded in agreement, “I’ll send Officer Specter over.” He said as he left to find Gore’s partner._

_The remaining trio watched him go._

_“ This is why women shouldn’t be allowed on the force.” Sergeant Embers began, “All their hormones and sensitivity and-”_

_“ Shut up Embers.” Lieutenant Burns scolded._

* * *

Gore’s eyes watered as she flipped the patties and scrambled the eggs.

She remembered what happened next.

Officer Specter arrived not even ten minutes later and was quick to comfort her sniffling partner.

* * *

_“Officer Gore?” Officer Specter asked cautiously as she peeked into the room. Her eye widened as she caught sight of the satyress washing her reddened face in the sink, “Dory? Honey what’s wrong?” In three quick strides, the cyclops was by her friend’s side. “What happened? Are you alright?”_

_Gore grabbed a paper towel and dabbed her face, shaking her head as she did so, “I’m fine…” she whimpered._

_Specter shook her own head, “No you’re not okay! What happened? Did someone do something to you? Did they say something?” she paused, “Was is Embers? Did he tell you something? I swear if that sexist..” she clenched her jaw and glared at the door in a silent threat. _

_Gore shook her head again, “No…no it wasn’t Embers…” she croaked._

_Specter turned back to her partner, “Then who is it? If somebody’s bothering you, you can tell me.”_

_“No one’s bothering me…”_

_Specter tilted her head, “Then what’s the matter honey?”_

_Gore stared at the ground. She felt like she was five years old again…_

_“I’m not feeling well.” She lied._

_Specter blinked, “You’re sick?”_

_Gore nodded._

_Specter looked at the younger officer in thought, “Maybe you should go home for the day.”_

_“No I-”_

_“ Yes, I think you should.” Specter nodded sympathetically, “You’re not ‘feeling well’, and personally, I think something is bothering you, but you don’t want to tell me- and that’s okay! But I think it would be in your best interest if you called it a day.”_

_Gore wanted to argue, but knowing Specter, doing so would just be in vain. When the cyclops told you to do something, you better do it. So instead, Gore reluctantly agreed. _

_“Yeah…yeah, okay…”_

_“Okay?” Specter tested._

_“Okay.” Gore confirmed._

_“Alright. Let’s get you to Sergeant Embers.” Specter said as she wrapped a supportive arm around Gore and led her out of the bathroom._

_It was awkward being led around the station as she was, but Gore was too emotionally drained to put up any sort of resistance to Specter’s guidance. Besides, she was supposed to be ‘sick’. Might as well milk the act._

_Informing Sergeant Embers that she would be leaving early went as annoying as she expected, and by the end of the encounter, she was glad she was leaving. The less time she spent around him, the better. _

_But it was as she was being ‘escorted’ out that she encountered the real cause to her current state. _

_“Everything alright Officer Gore?” Colt asked as the two women met him in the main lobby._

_“I’m not feeling well. I’m going home.” Gore claimed as she averted her eyes from the centaur._

_Colt’s brows raised, “Oh! Well…I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better.” He smiled an encouraging grin._

_“…Me too…”_

_Colt’s smile faltered at the dull tone._

_Specter looked between the two before nudging the smaller officer, “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”_

_“Rest easy! Take tomorrow off if you have to!” Colt advised as the duo left the building._

_Outside, Specter walked Gore to her car and watched in silence as the satyress clambered in._

_“You know,” she started, just as Gore made to close the door, “whatever is really going on, just know that…everything’s going to be okay. You’re a strong woman, and I know you’ll pull through and beat whatever’s eating you.” _

_“Thank you.” Gore said with a soft smile._

_Specter motioned in the department’s direction, “And Bronco’s right. If you need tomorrow off, don’t be afraid to call it in- to Hel with what Ember’s says!” she flicked her hand angrily in Ember’s general direction._

_Gore nodded thoughtfully. An extra day away from Embers, from Colt…from the thought that he was dating…_

_Gore took a shaky breath. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea…_

_“I think I’ll do that…”_

_“Great!” Specter said as she tapped Gore’s car door, “Don’t forget to call it in.” she cautioned._

_“I will.”_

_“Good. Go home. Get some rest. I’ll see you in a couple of days.” Specter stepped back as Gore closed her door and started her car._

_The two shared a final wave before Gore backed out of her slot and out of the lot._

_Specter watched her the entire time._

* * *

Gore turned off the stove and scooped the food onto a plate.

She remembered taking that time off.

Little good it actually did.

While Gore had managed to avoid Colt for a day and a half, she couldn’t escape the fact that he had a woman in his life, much less, the woman that happened to be the mother of the most annoying elf in town.

No…when she returned, she was faced with the painful truth that she had missed _any_ remote chance of starting anything with Colt. She couldn’t even _flirt_ with him if she wanted to. It wouldn’t be appropriate.

The only thing Gore could do was, go to work, do her job, and endure Colt’s presence, all the while trying to ignore the strong stench of Laurel that lingered on the centaur and the implications that came with it.

It was easier said than done, but Gore did it.

For three years, Gore listened in the background as Colt shared tales of his love life with other members of the force. For three years, she had to stand back and watch as _Laurel_ made brief appearance at the department. For _three years_ …Gore had to play it off and pretend the stories and interactions didn’t bother her.

It _shouldn’t_ have…but it _did_.

Gore took out a slice of bread and popped it in the toaster. She placed her plate on the small dinning table and crossed her arms as she waited for the final piece of her meal.

She _tried_ to move on from him. _Tried_ to be happy and not obsessive, but…something about Colt just kept drawing her back to him.

Maybe it was his looks. Maybe it was easy going personality. His voice, his physique, his scent, his ‘dad’ jokes…heck maybe it was his unique laugh that weakened her and just…reminded her of all the reasons she was attracted to him.

The toast was done.

Gore took the deliciously crispy slice and turned back to her table. As she did, her eyes fell on the commercial playing on the T.V.

A woman smiled and laughed as a larger man held and laughed along with her.

It was a completely innocent visual, but it still triggered the image of Colt and how he towered over her…big and strong and completely capable of enveloping and overpowering-

Gore shook her head as her fantasies from the previous night came rushing back.

‘ _No_ …no! Not here…not right now…’ Gore closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, held it, and then slowly released through her nose. She did this a few times until the heat in her neither regions subsided.

Once she felt better, the satyress took a seat at the table and took her first bite.

She honestly didn’t know why her body was acting like this _now_ …her next estrus wasn’t due till the following weekend, so her current elevated arousal was a bit of a mystery.

‘Maybe it’s because Colt’s relationship is in limbo.’ Gore thought as she took a bit of her toast.

Normally, Gore wasn’t one to celebrate the ending or impending ending of a relationship, but when it came to Colt, she had to admit- a bit guiltily mind you- she was _hoping_ for an actual breakup.

With Laurel out of the way, Colt would be- with all due respect- up for grabs, and Gore could properly make her attempted move.

If he denied her then, she would stop with the antics and just accept the painful truth that Colt _wasn’t_ attracted to her in the way _she_ was attracted to _him_. _But_ , in the off chance that she actually _had_ a shot, she would take it.

‘Nothing personal Laurel,’ Gore thought as she dug into her eggs, ‘but you had your chance with him. Now I’m taking mine.’


End file.
